Container restraint system for railway cars

ABSTRACT

A system for restraining movement of containers loaded on flatbed rail cars. The rail car has a set of four permanently and rigidly mounted restraint members for each container, two each of the restraint members being on opposite sides of the car, and each having vertical inner surfaces facing the centerline of the car and vertical side surfaces facing lengthwise of the car, which vertical extend upwardly a substantial distance above the bed of the car. the container has vertical sides held by the vertical inner surfaces of the restraint members to positively restrain lateral movement of the containers on the car; the container has outwardly projecting lugs with vertical surfaces held by the vertical side surfaces of the restraint member to positively restrain longitudinal movement of the containers on the car. The upper ends of the inner and side surfaces of the restraint members are slanted to facilitate loading of the containers onto the cars.

United States Patent 1191 Udaloff 1 1 Oct. 2, 1973 CONTAINER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FOR RAILWAY CARS Nicholas N. Udaloff, San Francisco, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Southern Pacific Transportation Company, San Francisco, Calif.

[22] Filed: Feb. 10, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 225,258

[75] lnventor:

[52] US. Cl... 105/366 D, 248/119 R 1,699,529 H1929 Gibbs et al 105/366 R Primary Examiner-Drayton E. Hoffman Att0rney-Carlisle M. Moore et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A system for restraining movement of containers loaded on flat-bed rail cars. The rail car has a set of four permanently and rigidly mounted restraint members for each container, two each of the restraint members being on opposite sides of the car, and each having vertical inner surfaces facing the ccnterline of the car and vertical side surfaces facing lengthwise of the car, which vertical extend upwardly a substantial distance above the bed of the car. the container has vertical sides held by the vertical inner surfaces of the restraint members to positively restrain lateral movement of the containers on the car; the container has outwardly projecting lugs with vertical surfaces held by the vertical side surfaces of the restraint member to positively restrain longitudinal movement of the containers on the car. The upper ends of the inner and side surfaces of the restraint members are slanted to facilitate loading of the containers onto the cars.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures CONTAINER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FOR RAILWAY CARS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the shipping of pre-loaded containers by rail, wherein containers of uniform length are first loaded at the factory or at the rail yard. The containers are then loaded on flat-bed rail cars, transported by rail to the desired destination and then bodily unloaded from the rail car. Such manner of shipment has found great favor since the time required to load and unload rail cars is minimized and the goods thus shipped are much more easily protected from theft or vandalism.

Container shipment requires a secure attachment of the containers to the flat car to prevent movement of the containers on the car since the containers are subjected to considerable forces during transit. The major forces imposed are the longitudinal forces resulting from run-out or run-in of the train. For example, if the train has been backed, then all of the slack between cars will have been taken up (run-in). If the train is now pulled forwardly, the train will gradually elongate (run-out) as the spacing between each car increases. As a result, the rearwardmost cars will be subjected to increasingly greater shocks as they start into forward motion. Similarly, if the moving train .is brought to a stop, run-in will occur, again imposing considerable shock to the rearward cars. Run-out and run-in will also occur as a-train goes down or up grade.

Lateral forces on containers are considerably less, but nevertheless cross winds can exert considerable force on containers having large side areas. Tall containers will also be subjected to lateral forces if the center of gravity of the containers is high and the roadbed is such that a sideways swaying movement is produced.

At the present time containers are individually secured to flat cars by cables and/or various forms of mechanical latches. Cables are quite time-consuming to put in place and remove. Many of the mechanical latches are manually operated and also require considerable labor to latch the container in place when it is loaded onto the car and to unlatch the container so that it may be removed after shipment. In addition, various types'of automatic latches have been devised to latch the container to the car upon movement of the container into place. These latches are more expensive initially and more prone to damage, with a consequent cost of repair and attendant down time of the car.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The main object of the present invention is to provide a container restraint system having no moving parts, which is very rugged, and which requires no laborto put into effect or disengage as containers are loaded onto and unloaded from a flat car. 1

In general, this objectis achieved by using a set of four restraint members fixed to the car and arranged to help guide the container into proper place on the car during loading. With the container in place, the restraint members have vertical surfaces engaging vertical surfaces on the container so that lateral movement on the rail car is positively restrained. The restraint members also have vertical'surfaces engaging vertical surfaces on lugs fixed tothecontainer so that longitudinal movement of the container on the car is positively restrained. Vertical movement of the container is not positively restrained, but the relatively high vertical restraint surfaces and the weight of the container will hold the container securely in place.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TI-IE DRAWINGS In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the same,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flat-bed rail car and shipping containers embodying the container restraint system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a detail view in elevation and partly in section of a restraint member mounted on'the side sill of the flat car and cooperating lug on the container;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view in elevation, taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view in plan showing a rail car with two groups of sets of restraint and with four containers carried on said rail car;

FIG. 5 is a view in plan of the rail car of FIG. 4 with three containers carried on said rail car.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates a flat-bed rail car 10 having two containers l1 and 12 already loaded thereon and with a third container 13 positioned to be lowered onto the car as by a crane or hoist truck. The rail-car 10 has a bed 14 and two side sills 15 and 16 extending the length of the car. The restraint system mounted on the car for container 13 comprises a set of four restraint members 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d, restraint members 17a and 17b being rigidly welded to side sill 15 andthe other two restraint members 17c and 17d being weldedto the opposite side sill 16. The container 13 has lugs 21a and 21b rigidly welded to the lower surface of wall 23 adjacent the bottom corners of the side wall to cooperate with restraint members 17a and 17b respectively. The container also has two lugs similarly mounted on the opposite side wall 24 to cooperate with restraint members 17c and 17d respectively.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, restraint member 17a comprises an upright plate 25 having a flat, relatively wide inner surface 26 facing towards and parallel to the longitudinal centerline of rail car 10, the inner surface 26 extending vertically upwards a substantial distance above the rail car bed 14, the inner surface then angling upwardly, at 27, away from the centerline of the rail car. A side plate 29 is welded to plate 25 along an edge thereof, the side plate 29 forming aside surface on the restraint member which extends verti-' cally a substantial distance above the rail car bed 14. The upper end of said plate 29 is preferably inclined at 30. The side edge 31 of plate 25, forming a continuation of the side surface of the restraint member, is angled upwardly toward the vertical centerline of the restraint member, as shown in FIG. 3. A similar side plate 32 is welded to the opposite side edge of plate 25. The upright plate 25 is welded to a base. plate 33 to complete the restraint member sub-assembly.

The restraint member sub-assembly is mounted on the rail car follows. The sub-assembly is located at the desired longitudinal point adjacent side sill 15 and the inner face 26 is positioned at the proper distance from the centerline of the rail car. All four restraint members in the set must be level with each other, and a suitable thickness shim 34 is inserted between base plate 33 and rail car bed 14 for leveling purposes. With the restraint sub-assembly properly positioned, angle iron 35 is welded to the upright restraint member plate 25 and the side sill 15. The angle iron 35 is provided with strengthening gussets 36 and 37 as shown. Reinforcing plates 38 and 39 are welded to the side sill l and to the restraint member side plates 29 and 32.

Restraint members 17b, 17c and 17d are similarly formed and secured to the side sills of the car. Restraint members 17a and 17b are spaced along side sill 15 so that the side surface 29 of restraint member 17a and the oppositely facing side surface of restraint member 17b are just slightly less than the distance between container lugs 21 and 22. Restraint members 17c and 17d are located on side sill 16 directly opposite to the restraint members 17a and 17b, and the distance between the inner vertical faces of restraint members 17a and 17c is just slightly more than the distance between the exterior surfaces of the container side walls 23 and 24.

For purposes of illustration, restraint members have been built wherein the plate 25 is made of inch thickness steel plate, with a width of 14 inches and a total height of 20 inches.

The container 13 has a substantially flat bottom 41, provided with a well 42 so that it may fit over the draft gear 43 of the rail car when the container rests on the base plates 33 of the restraint members, and the side walls 23 and 24 are vertical at least adjacent the bottom of the container/Lug 21a is welded to the exterior of the side wall to project outwardly therefrom adjacent the bottom and end of the container, and has a substantial vertical side surface 44 thereon for engagement with the side plate 29 of restraint member 17a. The lower end of the lug is preferably rounded at 45 away from the vertical side surface. The remaining lugs on the container are similarly disposed at the other bottom corners.

In operation, the container 13 is positioned above the rail car 10 as in FIG. 1 and is then lowered. The restraint members 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d first serve to align the container with the railcar. If the container is to one side of the centerline of the car, the bottom edge of the container will engage the upper inclined surface 27 of a restraint member and the container will be centered thereby. If the container is not in proper longitudinal position, the cooperation between the upper sloping side surface 31 of the restraint member and the bottom rounded comer 45 of the lug will center the container as it is further lowered. As soon as the container has been lowered so that the lower edges of the lugs are below the upper end of the restraint members, the engagement of the lugs and restraint members will prevent any contact between the container 13 being lowered and the adjacent container 12 which has already been loaded.

Once the container lugs have passed by the inclined guide surfaces of the restraint members the interengaging vertical surfaces of the container and lugs with the vertical inner and side surfaces positively restrain sidewards or longitudinal movement of the container during further lowering and after the container is in final position on the flat car bed.

In transit, the containers will be subjected to longitudinal forces from run-out and run-in of the train. How ever, since such longitudinal forces are opposed by the vertically engaging surfaces of the lugs and restraint members, no movement of the container can result. Horizontal forces on the container, from wind or swaying of the rail car, will also be opposed by the substantial vertical interengagement of the restraint members and the container side walls, and again no movement of the container will result. Upward dislodgement of the container will be prevented by the weight of the containers, even if empty, and again because of the substantial vertical interengagement of the restraint members and the container.

Unloading is a simple matter, since all that is required is that a suitable crane or hoist truck lift the container up vertically from the car to clear the restraint members and then move the container away from the rail car.

As will be noted, there are no structural members on v the rail car between the opposed inner faces of the restraint members. Because of this, and because the restraint members are relatively small as compared to the size of the rail car (which may be 89 feet in length) the restraint system of the present invention may be used so that different-length containers may be shipped on the same rail car.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a rail car having 12 indentical restraint members 17 mounted on each side sill. Reading from one end of the rail car, thefirst and second, the third and sixth, the seventh and tenth and eleventh and twelfth restraint members on one side sill and their opposed restraint members on the opposite side sill form a first group of four sets of restraint members cooperating with the container lugs 21 to hold four containers of the same length on the car, as shown in FIG. 4. Likewise, the first and fourth, fifth and eighth, ninth and twelfth restraints on the side sills form a second group of three sets of restraint members to hold three longer containers, of the same length each, in place.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A container restraint system for rail cars comprising:

a. a rail car having a flat bed and opposed side sills extending longitudinally of said car,

b. a set of four restraint members rigidly mounted on said side sills, two of the restraint members being mounted on one, side sill and longitudinally spaced thereon, the other two restraint members being mounted on the other side sill opposite to the first two restraint members,

c. each restraint member having a flat, upright rigid plate having a relatively wide inner surface facing and parallel to the centerline of said rail car, said inner surface extending vertically upward a substantial distance above said rail car bed and continuing vertically upwardly a substantial distance above the top of said side sill and then angling upwardly away from the centerline of said rail car,

d. said restraint member plate having a side surface thereon extending vertically upwardly a substantial distance above said rail car bed and continuing vertically upwardly a substantial distance above the top of said side sill and then angling upwardly towards the vertical centerline of said restraint member plate, the two restraint members on one side sill having said side surfaces thereon facing in opposite directions, the portion of said side surface above the top of said side sill being visible from alongside of said rail car, I

e. a container having a substantially flat bottom and opposed side 'walls which are vertically adjacent the bottom thereof, the exterior surfaces of said side walls being spaced laterally apart a distance substantially equal to but slightly less than the distance between the inner vertical surfaces of a pair of said opposed restraint members,

f. a set of four solid lugs rigidly mounted on the side walls of said container, one lug adjacent each corner of said container. and adjacent the bottom thereof, said lugs projecting outwardly from the side walls of said container,

v g. each lug having a vertical side surface thereon closely adjacent the verticalside surface of a restraint member when said container is seated on said rail car bed.

2. A container restraint system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lower end of each lug isrounded away from said vertical side surface thereof.

3. A container restraint system as set forth in claim 1, and further including at least one more set of restraint members spaced longitudinally along said rail car and as defined in claim 1, each set of restraint memfrom that of said first group of sets. 

1. A container restraint system for rail cars comprising: a. a rail car having a flat bed and opposed side sills extending longitudinally of said car, b. a set of four restraint members rigidly mounted on said side sills, two of the restraint members being mounted on one side sill and longitudinally spaced thereon, the other two restraint members being mounted on the other side sill opposite to the first two restraint members, c. each restraint member having a flat, upright rigid plate having a relatively wide inner surface facing and parallel to the centerline of said rail car, said inner surface extending vertically upward a substantial distance above said rail car bed and continuing vertically upwardly a substantial distance above the top of said side sill and then angling upwardly away from the centerline of said rail car, d. said restraint member plate having a side surface thereon extending vertically upwardly a substantial distance above said rail car bed and continuing vertically upwardly a substantial distance above the top of said side sill and then angling upwardly towards the vertical centerline of said restraint member plate, the two restraint members on one side sill having said side surfaces thereon facing in opposite directions, the portion of said side surface above the top of said side sill being visible from alongside of said rail car, e. a container having a substantially flat bottom and opposed side walls which are vertically adjacent the bottom thereof, the exterior surfaces of said side walls being spaced laterally apart a distance substantially equal to but slightly less than the distance between the inner vertical surfaces of a pair of said opposed restraint members, f. a set of four solid lugs rigidly mounted on the side walls of said container, one lug adjacent each corner of said container and adjacent the bottom thereof, said lugs projecting outwardly from the side walls of said container, g. each lug having a vertical side surface thereon closely adjacent the vertical side surface of a restraint member when said container is seatEd on said rail car bed.
 2. A container restraint system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lower end of each lug is rounded away from said vertical side surface thereof.
 3. A container restraint system as set forth in claim 1, and further including at least one more set of restraint members spaced longitudinally along said rail car and as defined in claim 1, each set of restraint members having the same longitudinal spacing of restraint members along a side sill.
 4. A container restraint system as set forth in claim 3, and further including a second group of sets of restraint members spaced longitudinally along said rail car from one end to the other, each set being as defined in claim 1, each set of restraint members of said second group having the same longitudinal spacing of restraint members in a set along a side sill, said longitudinal spacing of said second group of sets being different from that of said first group of sets. 